Do you ever see things in films/TV that make you think “thank god I don’t have children.”?

[KimberleyClark]

I’ve just started watching A Man On The Inside on Netflix. Starring Ted Danson as a retired college professor. He’s got a daughter who keeps telling him to stop pottering about and doing the crossword and do something meaningful with his life. I ‘m retired and thought “thank fuck I don’t have children bossing me about and telling me how to live my life”!

I read a lot of (crap) thriller books. Eg woman starts a new job and her old school bully works there and she suddenly starts being stalked and thinks it's the bully but it turns out it's her sister or something nonsense.

There's always stuff in those kinds of books where something happens like there's noises coming from the attic and the main character tries to her her 9 year old out of bed and into the car to escape and the child won't go and keeps questioning the mum and refusing to leave and stuff like that and I just get so stressed out thinking the same as you do about the character in that show 😂

I read a lot of (crap) thriller books. Eg woman starts a new job and her old school bully works there and she suddenly starts being stalked and thinks it's the bully but it turns out it's her sister or something nonsense.

Howling. I've read SO many of these.

Anything with children in.

This 👆

Every time I have a wobble about my life not quite turning out as I expected (marriage...kids..etc), I come onto MN to reaffirm that the grass is most definitely NOT always greener and my life is actually pretty good!

Yes - joining Mumsnet was a real game changer for me in terms of co ing to terms with my childlessness.

Definitely. I joined MN in the first place to try and understand what my friends with children were dealing with until I had my own, and help me relate to them better. It ended up being a very significant influence in my decision not to have any.

Supernanny!

Home to Roost Christmas special from 1987 Family Ties. Its hilarious trust me.

i have such good memories of watching this with my dad and us laughing.

I'm rewatching The Devil's Crown (1978 series about the first two generations of the Plantagenet dynasty) and that would put anyone off having children, or at least sons!

'I love Slow Horses for many reasons, but a big one is the portrayal of middle-aged women without them being in a motherly role. Kristen Scott Thomas as M15’s “second desk” and Saskia Reeves as Katherine Standish, a PA and everywoman'

I find Slow Horses a bit overrated in general, but you're so right about this point! They're fabulous actors and fabulous characters

I'm rewatching Motherland which is VERY funny and enjoyable, but it does make parenting look like pure unvarnished hell. I feel so grateful that I don't have to deal with any of it 🤦🏻‍♂️

I don’t much like Slow Horses, but agree these are two great characters (and excellent actors), but most parents function at work at the same level of efficiency as non-parents. If it’s a programme about a workplace, I wouldn’t necessarily expect to know whether or not the characters had children or not, unless we follow them home and they have dependent offspring still living at home.

I’ve only ever seen a couple of episodes of Motherland, and disliked it despite the presence of Anna Maxwell Martin, but it’s completely unrecognisable as a portrait of parenthood for me. (I was happily childfree till 40, when I had DS, now 12). Mind you, I’m sure parenthood is as individual an experience as remaining childfree is — I certainly don’t recognise much of what’s said about parenthood on here, either.

Like others, it’s real life and reading MN that puts me off. When people describe some hellish scenario involving sleep deprivation, defiant screaming toddlers, puke, sexist useless fathers, ruined saggy bodies and their career in the bin but say “when they stroke my face and call me mummy it makes it all worth it” I just think if that’s the best it gets it doesn’t sound remotely worth it.

I certainly wouldn’t find that in any way worth it, and I have a child. But I didn’t have a child with a waster, my career has gone from strength to strength, the sleep deprivation stage was brief, I don’t think DS was ever screams or puky, and my body is fine.

I mean, I could absolute post about things I personally experienced as downsides, like the phase when aged about three he was fascinated by puddles, or the current tween storms of emotion, but generally it’s just been interesting. Just slightly differently interesting to the way my life was before I had him, and would have gone on being.

I mean, I could absolute post about things I personally experienced as downsides, like the phase when aged about three he was fascinated by puddles, or the current tween storms of emotion, but generally it’s just been interesting

You could in allll the other sections directly related to having kids. Not the childfree board.

Yup.

It also doesn't need to be that bad to be unappealing to some of us. I don't want to be responsible for someone who is fascinated by puddles or trucks or dinosaurs, or going through the maelstrom of the tween years. It doesn't matter how interesting it otherwise is. The downsides can be as mild as you like compared to the upsides, but it's irrelevant - it's just not for me.

I have kids fortunately before I joined mumsnet. I completely agree mumsnet would put anyone off having a husband and kids. And some of the families I know now in v difficult situations. I think I'm doing OK, just very tired, but it can turn out v sh** if you realise you're with the wrong partner.

Well, exactly.

I went out for the day with family recently, including a 4-year-old. She’s a lovely child, we all had a good time & she gave me a nice goodbye hug. But much as I like her, nothing about the day made me wish that I had a child of my own.

Although when I visited friends with cats, while I was still renting or lodging, I always came away envying them.

Yep, every time I feel remotely lonely, I just come on here and then that makes me grateful for my life 🤣 parenting being a mother seems relentless.

Not TV or movies, but seeing my friends age so quickly and really suffer mentally and physically with the sacrifices of having kids, makes me think 'thank fuck'.

The other thing I often read on here is the partners who are policing each other’s free time to the nth degree (DH gets 2.6 hours in the gym every week, where’s MY 2.6 hours?) now I can see why, because every moment to chill is precious as a parent and many mothers may be battling with useless men who won’t do their bit as a dad but my god, I would HATE to live my life not just being able to come and go as I please. I have dogs but they can be left alone for a few hours and are small and lazy so if I want to just laze around they join me without a fuss!

Another thing - the constant alertness required. I was on a group trip the other day with various strangers including a family with 3 kids, I’d estimate they were between 4 and 10. They were actually very quiet, pleasant and well behaved kids but the parents - “have you remembered your drink? Do you need the toilet? Remember to chew with your mouth closed! Don’t run off too far! Let me know if you feel car sick!” I felt jittery and on edge just listening. When do they ever get to just relax and enjoy the moment? I’m guessing…never? I just don’t want my life dictated by anything except my own choices.

Home Alone.
I couldn't stand being around that amount of kids.
Isn't there 11 kids, one family with 5 and one with 6? Looks awful 😅

Talking about home alone 😱
The house
5.5m

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